A look ahead at 2019's fitness trends

What is in store for health, wellness and fitness trends coming in 2019? The more things change, the more they stay the same it seems with only a few things shifting in 2019. Like prior years, I will touch on the old, a little new and even some futuristic trends predicted in the coming years.

First, here are a few fun facts in some subtle changes in our health and fitness behaviors:

1. Cardio exercise is slowing down and is not as popular as past years.

2. The most popular time to work out on work days is 5:30 p.m. and on weekends at 10:30 a.m. So plan your gym trips around peak times.

3. The U.S. is now only ranked as the 42nd fittest country in the world.

4. Colorado and Idaho have the highest percentage of adults who exercise.

5. Obesity rates continued to climb in 2018 adding more states with rates higher than 35 percent of their population.

6. Minnesota, Hawaii, and California rank at the top for life expectancy.

Now on to the top six fitness trends and depending on which criteria you use, two exercise aspects share the number one slot of what is trending:

1. Although high-intensity interval training or HIIT has been getting some mixed reviews as a one size fits all regimen, HIIT continues to be a significant trend with millennials. These 30-minute-or-less training sessions tend to be excellent for people with a tight schedule and a need to jump-start each workout with a heart-pounding fast-paced gene-altering exercise.

2. Strength training has knocked cardio down the list and since strength training is also part of HIIT training, it can technically share the number one spot. Strength training is becoming very important to boomers as they age and try to avoid issues such as osteoporosis and build muscle tone for better mobility fighting off the aging process. Millennials love it for body composition and to help fire up their metabolic rate, stay active and look great doing so. No matter why you do it, strength training is becoming essential and for all the right reasons. A strong body is a healthy body.

3. Once again, yoga, which is a western view, is a timeless form of exercise. In other cultures, it is used to align your body’s energy and spiritualism. No matter the form, yoga seems to stay at the top of what is trending every year. Yoga has ebbed and flowed in popularity across cultures for generations. Yoga continues to change and remake itself to fit modern needs, open self-awareness and bring health to our bodies and minds. Looking toward yoga in 2019, expect more blended classes which are pulling variations of styles and schools together and plan more yoga retreats, group offerings, festivals and yoga classes on meditation along with breathing methods without the asana or physical exercise aspect.

4. Group fitness everything, expect 2019 to have more options than ever before for group fitness programs. The boot camp classes and Zumba came and went, but in 2019 they will be replaced with many other options and it could be confusing as to which type of class or group you are the right fit for in regards to your fitness level.

5. Remember the bionic man or what makes up the average superhero? Their characteristics are strong, fast, flexible with super quick reflexes and a very high cognition ability to think five moves ahead. Sounds like a Bruce Lee-style athlete right? Welcome to the new world of sudden dynamic interference training. This unique training style that is catching on fairly rapidly is a recent addition to fitness. Neuromuscular training puts a high emphasis on fast-paced motor and neurologic interference challenges to build and stress your fitness.

The new training method uses equipment and training regimens that put you through a fast-paced set of unknowns, both physically and mentally to improve your physical and mental acuity. Fast twitch muscle memory, better balance, and improved cognition, all to deliver a total mind-body workout.

6. Navy Seal boot camps meet Ninja Warrior style exercise in local gyms. Local gyms are starting to develop, design and equip obstacle courses. These workout centers or areas allow the full physical challenge of jump hang, unstable balance beams, rope ladders, climbing walls and much more. These features are a favorite for want to be athletes and are becoming more prevalent in both small and larger gyms. Expect this trend to continue to grow in the next couple of years.

2019 looks to be a bit of the same old health and fitness trends blended into new cross-platform regimens that will provide better results with more impactful health and fitness options. At least there are some new programs to try and see if they stick.

Judd Jones is a director for The Hagadone Corporation and certified health coach. For information, go online to jhanawellness.com.